Third grade boys have been especially busy this past week! June 6 was a celebration of that grade's third annual Dutch Day, with parents and members of the Browning community on hand to admire the boys' work. Teachers Laura Alterman, Frances Hamilton and Susan Kehoe explained that students were given a person from Colonial New Amsterdam to study, as well as an occupation to research. They gathered information and eventually wrote a letter to a 21st century student describing life in Colonial New Amsterdam. The boys dressed in colonial clothing on Dutch Day and enthusiastically shared their knowledge with visitors. The entire project was much like "a living museum!"

The prior morning, the third graders rejoiced in the completion of the stories they had written using the famed author, Chris Van Allsburg, as a mentor. Many members of the Browning community were on hand for the boys' publishing party and delighted in seeing the colorful covers these young authors had created and learning more about each student's book. Their teachers noted, "The boys were so proud of their books and so pleased to show them off!"